Breathless (1960)Some love is like a whirlwind, moving dangerously fast with reckless abandon, pulling you into a swirling vortex where the cares of reality no longer matter. Breathless (1960) is a story about a pair of young lovers, Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and Patricia Franchini (Jean Seberg), who while notably different in personality, are drawn to one another, willing to brave danger for each other's company. Michel is on the lamb for having shot a police officer, and Patricia is an American working for a newspaper. But none of this seems to matter when they are together, their romance taking center stage.
|
|
The plot about Michel's criminal activity almost seems a pretense for the romance of its protagonists. The action of Breathless moves by at rapid speed, with staggeringly quick cuts, giving the film a jazzy and vivacious feel. But these moments move with the patient, calm lull of a slow dance when Michel and Patricia are together at her apartment. They tease one another in their own ways, prodding to learn more about one other. They have already slept together, and the outwardly confident Michel is obviously still nervous in the company of the pretty girl, trying to hard to overcompensate for his concealed awkwardness. In fact, Michel doesn't so much embody a spirit of cool like James Dean, or his cinematic icon, Humphrey Bogart, but like a young man trying to be the kind of Hollywood outlaw he idolizes from the movies. From the start, his misadventures show him as crass, conceited, and arrogant--a crook who is always looking to take advantage of a situation, stealing cars from strangers and five hundred francs from a former lover when he can. When Michel shoots a cop on the side of the road, it is a thoughtless gesture, but becomes the reason for the manhunt plaguing him throughout the rest of the film. But while this pursuit is what dogs Michel, it is not the heart of Breathless; the movie shines when he and Victoria are in each other's company. Patricia is from America, evidenced in her accent and occupation. She is the definition of chic; with her pixie cut hairstyle and fashion sense, she is effortlessly modern. The sense of comfort in her fashion speaks to an inner confidence and self-assurance, something which no doubt attracted Michel in the first place. That is not to say that Patricia doesn't have crises of conscious; when she is confronted by Police Inspector Vital (Daniel Boulanger) about her association with Michel, she feels she has to try to deceive him, still unsure about how she feels for Michel, struggling to gauge whether theirs is but a fleeting romance or if something in the sketchy young man stirs something deeper within.
Breathless has a kind of bohemian energy coursing through its veins, a film embodying a cool detachment and young love on the run appeal which is universal. On their journey through Paris, just spending time together while also evading custody, Michel and Patricia go to the movies and hide out at a photographer's studio. Their day together is like a date--appropriate for young lovers--save for the stealing of cars and dodging a tail in the bathroom. The most poignant of moments is really when Michel essentially breaks into Patricia's apartment to see her again, waiting half-naked in her bed and under the covers, hoping to recreate whatever magic brought them into one another's arms in the first place. He teases her about putting on lipstick. She confesses she believes she is pregnant, and that she believes he is the father, although this doesn't get brought up again. They make love under the covers following Michel's insistence. A good deal of the film is spent in this intimate room, where we are brought up to speed on the soul of Breathless, and it is well worth it. Breathless has lots of moments where Michel carries out his mischievous, criminal acts, like selling a stolen Thunderbird or trying to make contact with his criminal ally for his money acquired from some ill-gotten activity. But these moments feel isolated and spiritless in contrast with the vibrancy of the love he has for Patricia and their moments together. It is a deceptively simple but effective way to underscore just how their love makes his life richer, a way to communicate this message to the audience without simply telling us that these two are in love--we are made to feel it, too. Far from being a weepy romance, however, Breathless is a multitude of feelings reminiscent of other genres. At times, it feels like a black comedy, with Michel's inflated ego constantly directing him toward criminal activity, even when simpler alternatives would be safer and easier. The sense that the romance between Michel and Patricia is doomed is felt more and more as the news tickers on the street vividly pronounce that the police are "closing in" on Michel, a countdown to the end of their lovely affair--Michel comes closer into the orbit of the Hollywood outlaw lifestyle he had been pursuing. There is also irony in Patricia's job as a reporter, since she finds herself in as intimate of a position as one could be regarding front-page material like that of her boyfriend and his exploits. At one point, Patricia interviews an author who is dogged by vapid questions, and who in turn yields equally superficial, pop answers. Patricia asks him questions about his life's ambition, to which he replies that he would like to be "immortal, and then die". She smirks in response, because this reply embodies the same spark she senses in Michel. She sees Michel in everything now, as he occupies her mind just as she does for him. Even when apart, they are linked in spirit, lingering on in thought even in absentia; what could be more romantic?
Recommended for: Fans of a vivid and exciting--albeit doomed--romance between two young lovers. Breathless is a cornerstone in the French New Wave, with cool characters, vibrant dialogue, and a jazzy vibe running throughout.
Breathless has a kind of bohemian energy coursing through its veins, a film embodying a cool detachment and young love on the run appeal which is universal. On their journey through Paris, just spending time together while also evading custody, Michel and Patricia go to the movies and hide out at a photographer's studio. Their day together is like a date--appropriate for young lovers--save for the stealing of cars and dodging a tail in the bathroom. The most poignant of moments is really when Michel essentially breaks into Patricia's apartment to see her again, waiting half-naked in her bed and under the covers, hoping to recreate whatever magic brought them into one another's arms in the first place. He teases her about putting on lipstick. She confesses she believes she is pregnant, and that she believes he is the father, although this doesn't get brought up again. They make love under the covers following Michel's insistence. A good deal of the film is spent in this intimate room, where we are brought up to speed on the soul of Breathless, and it is well worth it. Breathless has lots of moments where Michel carries out his mischievous, criminal acts, like selling a stolen Thunderbird or trying to make contact with his criminal ally for his money acquired from some ill-gotten activity. But these moments feel isolated and spiritless in contrast with the vibrancy of the love he has for Patricia and their moments together. It is a deceptively simple but effective way to underscore just how their love makes his life richer, a way to communicate this message to the audience without simply telling us that these two are in love--we are made to feel it, too. Far from being a weepy romance, however, Breathless is a multitude of feelings reminiscent of other genres. At times, it feels like a black comedy, with Michel's inflated ego constantly directing him toward criminal activity, even when simpler alternatives would be safer and easier. The sense that the romance between Michel and Patricia is doomed is felt more and more as the news tickers on the street vividly pronounce that the police are "closing in" on Michel, a countdown to the end of their lovely affair--Michel comes closer into the orbit of the Hollywood outlaw lifestyle he had been pursuing. There is also irony in Patricia's job as a reporter, since she finds herself in as intimate of a position as one could be regarding front-page material like that of her boyfriend and his exploits. At one point, Patricia interviews an author who is dogged by vapid questions, and who in turn yields equally superficial, pop answers. Patricia asks him questions about his life's ambition, to which he replies that he would like to be "immortal, and then die". She smirks in response, because this reply embodies the same spark she senses in Michel. She sees Michel in everything now, as he occupies her mind just as she does for him. Even when apart, they are linked in spirit, lingering on in thought even in absentia; what could be more romantic?
Recommended for: Fans of a vivid and exciting--albeit doomed--romance between two young lovers. Breathless is a cornerstone in the French New Wave, with cool characters, vibrant dialogue, and a jazzy vibe running throughout.